


Treat Yourself to Some Fruity Cocktails

by midnight_vision



Series: when peace is found [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Anakin is a total lightweight, F/M, Fluff, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2017-05-29
Packaged: 2018-11-06 14:30:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11038107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnight_vision/pseuds/midnight_vision
Summary: The handmaidens go out for drinks with Anakin to see how he acts when he’s drunk, and Anakin’s just happy to have a night out with some of his favorite people.





	Treat Yourself to Some Fruity Cocktails

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place roughly two years after the twins were born.

Dormé didn’t even have to think about it. She looked at the list on the piece of flimsi Moteé had brought with her and immediately pointed to her choice, to which Moteé nodded approvingly. Out of everyone gathered, they were the ones who knew Anakin best.

“Really?” Saché asked as she leaned over. “You’re going with ‘happy and affectionate’? I’m going with ‘sad.’ I wouldn’t be surprised if he cries at everything.”

She shrugged. That was a possibility, but they were betting on how he would behave for the majority of his time spent drunk, so even if he did cry a little, that didn’t mean Saché would win. Teckla picked ‘sleepy,’ and Moteé also went with ‘happy and affectionate.’ Sabé, having only met Anakin once, picked ‘quiet and confused’ just because no one else had bet on it.

Sabé was actually the one who’d suggested they all go out for drinks with Anakin. Having been as close as she was to Padmé years ago, she was very curious as to what Padmé saw in her husbands, but she wanted to spend time with them separately, so Anakin was up first. Dormé thought he could use a break from the twins anyway. While she knew he loved them dearly, two toddlers were a lot to handle. Padmé had said they were very energetic and them being able to walk was somewhat terrifying. And then there was their haphazard use of the Force. The fact that Anakin had agreed to a night out with such enthusiasm told Dormé just how stressed he was.

By the time Anakin arrived, the flimsi was out of sight, but Dormé was going to tell him about their bet because, as Padmé liked to say, secrets were poison.

He gave everyone a hug, even Sabé, which startled her a little. She probably didn’t think he would treat her like he did the rest of them.

When they sat back down, Dormé took an end of their half circle booth so that he was closer to the middle. “Just so you know, we have a small bet going about how you’ll act when you get drunk.”

One corner of his mouth quirked upwards. Sabé had been somewhat worried that he’d be offended by it, but that didn’t seem to be the case. “And who says I’ll get drunk?”

“Obi-Wan told me it doesn’t take much.”

Saché leaned over Anakin and tapped the back of Dormé’s hand. “He better not have said any more than that, or you’re cheating.”

Anakin laughed quietly to himself. “Okay, you’ll just have to tell me who voted for what later.”

Obi-Wan had told her one more thing, that Anakin only ever drank in excess when he was with people he trusted. Over the last two and a half years, he’d spent quite a bit of time with each of them, with the exception of Sabé, and Dormé was relieved to have confirmation that Anakin thought of them as his good friends. She hadn’t expected to like him as much as she did, but she’d been drawn to his playfulness, compassion, and strong sense of loyalty.

“How are Luke and Leia?” Saché asked after they ordered their drinks.

Anakin grinned, but his shoulders sagged a little. “They’re good, just really . . . active. I feel like they were a bit calmer at Varykino.”

“Well, the atmosphere there is completely different than it is in Theed,” Moteé said.

“Still not as hectic as Coruscant, though.” Anakin grimaced as he leaned against the back of the booth. “I can’t imagine trying to raise them there.” He wouldn’t want their children being so close to the Jedi Temple anyway. At least the Jedi hadn’t shown any interest in the twins. “From what we’ve seen, Dee’ja Peak is somewhere in the middle, so we hope they settle down after the move.”

Dormé and the others had been getting updates from Padmé about her and her family moving away from Theed and what it would mean for her organization. It shouldn’t become an issue, but the first couple of months could be a tad tricky.

Anakin asked them how they were all doing since he’d last seen them a few weeks ago, and they delved into stories about their home lives and their work with the organization. Saché proudly showed him the tattoo on the inside of her wrist, something she’d gotten as a sign of devotion to her new husband. For just a few seconds, Dormé saw pain cross his face, and she didn’t think it was due to him imagining what getting that tattoo must have felt like. None of the others seemed to notice it.

“I’ve always wondered what the Jedi do for fun,” Sabé said once their drinks arrived.

Dormé wasn’t sure why Sabé brought up the Jedi. Padmé had to have told her at least the simple version of events. Maybe she wanted to see if he’d go into a rant about the Order and how poorly he’d been treated. Luckily, Anakin had reached the point where, as long as the topic had nothing to do with him personally, he was fine with discussing the Jedi.

He downed half of his bright orange drink before he gave her a mischievous smile. “Oh, they like to act all prim and proper when outside the Temple, but it’s a completely different story when they’re only around each other.”

He told them stories of pranks, secret parties, and rumors of sexual rendezvous with glee. Dormé was mildly shocked by some of them, but she only had a superficial understanding of what the Jedi were as an organization. Besides, no person could uphold the Order’s strict rules _all_ the time.

Soon, more drinks were ordered, and Dormé wasn’t surprised that Anakin favored colorful, sweet drinks. When Moteé pointed that out, he claimed that the fruit and sugar masked the taste of alcohol. After his third glass, Anakin was past the point of being tipsy. Considering his size, Dormé hadn’t thought he’d be such a lightweight. Just how much alcohol was in those drinks?

“So then I told him that he’d better run or that bird was going to steal his lunch,” Saché said, laughing.

Anakin actually _giggled_ as he rested his hand on her arm. “Did he?”

“Nope. He had the saddest look on his face when the bird took his entire sandwich!” Saché laughed even harder. The story wasn’t particularly funny, but she found humor in nearly everything when she drank a little too much.

Both Dormé and Sabé were still on their first drinks, but for different reasons. Regardless of the existence of autopilot, Dormé wanted to make sure Anakin got home safely, so she decided to stay sober. As for Sabé, she couldn’t find out what kind of person Anakin was if she was drunk as well. She believed that a person’s true self came out when under the influence of alcohol, which Dormé agreed with. Dormé couldn’t help but smile whenever she remembered the many times Padmé got drunk in her apartment and gave passionate speeches about democracy, doing what was right for the galaxy, and Anakin Skywalker’s pretty eyes. It was because of such moments that Dormé had an idea something was going on between those two before she caught them in bed together.

Anakin began to lean to one side and had to grab the table to stop himself from falling over. As Saché tried to help steady him, they both giggled as if they were teenagers.

“Did Padmé ever tell you about the time she fell asleep during a budget meeting when she was Queen?” Sabé asked him. When he shook his head, she continued, “She’d been awake for over 24 hours preparing for the meeting, and once two governors started arguing with each other, I could see her eyes start to close. I had to get the attention of Yané, who was standing closest to her. She grabbed a piece of fruit from one of the servants and threw it with remarkable aim at Padmé’s face. No one at the table even noticed.”

Anakin grinned. “I bet she’ll deny it ever happened if I ask her about it.”

“Probably,” Sabé said with a hint of a smile from behind her glass.

“She’s so great. She can do anything if she puts her mind to it. Obi-Wan, too.” He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “I’m so lucky. They’re both just . . . so great.”

Moteé smirked and casually asked, “How’s the sex?”

Being too far away to give her a light smack on the arm, Dormé threw her balled up straw wrapper at Moteé. “Don’t ask him something you know he wouldn’t answer while sober.” If it was in relation to himself, Anakin was rather embarrassed about the topic of sex. Padmé definitely wasn’t, which led to Dormé knowing a few things she wished she didn’t.

Anakin put his chin in his hand and gave Moteé a dopey smile. “They’re the best lovers ever, not that I have anyone to compare them to, but still, they’re the best.”

While a few eyebrows were raised, Dormé had already guessed that Padmé was his first. Anakin was so awkward when they’d met on Coruscant that there was no way he’d been with someone prior to that.

“You’re all such nice people,” Anakin said as he swept his other hand across the table. “Padmé was lucky to have you.”

“She still has us,” Dormé said.

“Well, yeah, but y’know . . . ”

She wasn’t sure what he was trying to say, and he never finished his thought because his eyes locked onto a platter of grilled meat that went by their booth. Teckla tried to hide her laughter at his lack of focus.

When he looked back at them, he pushed himself away from the table and sagged in his seat. “I thought none of you liked me in the beginning.”

“What gave you that idea?” Moteé asked with a frown.

Anakin shrugged before he drank what was left in his glass, his eyes on the table as if he’d suddenly found something interesting there. “You all went to Obi-Wan for whatever. I mean, I sorta understood. He’s much more, um, charismatic than I am.”

“Anakin, I’m sorry we made you feel that we didn’t like you,” Dormé said. She hoped he wasn’t one of those drunks who was prone to spontaneous bouts of crying. “We just weren’t sure how to approach you because you were a bit shy around us.”

“Well, you were all a little intimidating.”

They hadn’t meant to come off that way. None of them had been sure what to expect when he and Obi-Wan showed up at Varykino. Padmé seemed more relaxed with them there, but something hadn’t felt right those first few weeks. Padmé later told her they’d all been quite stressed before they took that trip to Coruscant and especially before Anakin started seeing his counselor. Dormé hadn’t truly been aware of the tension that filled their temporary home until it was gone.

Anakin suddenly tried to call a server to their table to ask for another drink, but Teckla stopped him. “I think you’ve had enough.”

“I’m completely fine. See?” He tried to stand, but he was unsteady on his feet, and he quickly sat back down as he put a hand to his head. “I don’t know how Obi-Wan does it.”

“Does what?” Sabé asked.

“He can drink an entire bottle of Rodian ale and barely feel a thing. He would sometimes do shots while we were on missions once I was old enough to enter cantinas. Pfft, like it was a big deal.” Anakin rolled his eyes. “I was five when I went to my first cantina.”

They looked at each other while Anakin traced invisible patterns on the table, laughing to himself. All they knew about his childhood was that he lived on Tatooine until the Jedi took him to Coruscant when he was around 10 years old. Dormé figured that life on Tatooine was harsh, so maybe it wasn’t strange for a five-year-old to be in a cantina.

Dormé shook her head, and they silently agreed not to question him about it.

“So what you’re saying is, it would take a lot to get Obi-Wan drunk,” Moteé said as she leaned forward in blatant curiosity.

“Yeah. I only ever saw it happen once.”

“And what kind of drunk is he?” Sabé asked, no doubt wondering if she should get to know Obi-Wan using her current method.

“Sad.” Then he perked up and smiled at her. “Tipsy Obi-Wan is kinda fun, though.” He told them a few stories, or at least he tried to through his laughter.

Once he was lost in a fit of giggles, Dormé ordered some hangover-prevention food and a small platter of the grilled meat that Anakin had eyed earlier. Anakin and Saché were both drunk, while Teckla and Moteé were only buzzed, but they could all do with something in their stomachs beside alcohol.

“Aw, thank you, Dormé,” Anakin said once the server left. He wrapped an arm around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder. “I can lessen a headache with the Force, but I can’t get rid of the symptoms entirely like Obi-Wan can.”

Sabé chuckled after it become apparent that Anakin wasn’t going to be leaving Dormé’s side until the food was served. Dormé would have to ask her what conclusion she’d reached about Anakin, but from what she could tell through Sabé’s expressions and body language, she liked him.

While the others started talking about work, Anakin said quietly, “I never did thank you.”

“For what?”

“On the day we went into Theed together, you didn’t pry, and I really appreciated that.”

It took her a moment to understand what he was referring to. She never did find out what had gotten him so upset, but it wasn’t her business to know. Even if Anakin hadn’t been looking for those strange ingredients, she would have offered him a chance to get out. Not only had it seemed like he could use a change in scenery, she also wanted to get to know him a little better. After all, he was her good friend’s husband, and they would be around each other often in the coming years.

In response, she patted his knee.

“Actually,” he said as he finally sat up, “if I hadn’t gone to the market, me and Obi-Wan wouldn’t have had our long-overdue talk.” Anakin smiled at her, and his eyes looked clearer than they had a moment ago. “Thank you.”

She wanted to say she really hadn’t done anything, but the food arrived, and his attention moved to the grilled meat.

After they’d finished eating, it was late enough that they’d decided to call it a night. Dormé helped Anakin up, but he’d regained some of his balance, so he didn’t need to rely on her too much. Outside the restaurant, he gave each of them a hug that lasted a bit longer than the ones he greeted them with. Dormé and Moteé shared somewhat triumphant looks because they clearly won the bet. They’d collect their winnings later.

Anakin stumbled over to his speeder and didn’t put up a fight about Dormé flying. He simply got into the passenger seat and closed his eyes. “Thanks. I hate autopilot, and I’d probably crash after two minutes.”

“I’m not sure you’d even make it _that_ long,” she said as she turned on the engine.

He swatted her halfheartedly.

It was a quiet ride, Anakin having fallen asleep shortly after takeoff. She had to agree with Padmé that he looked younger when he slept. It was hard to believe that he’d only just turned 25. The war had really done a number on both him and Obi-Wan, but Obi-Wan claimed that he was beginning to see gray hairs because he’d been around Anakin for so many years. Even Padmé jokingly blamed a recent white hair on Anakin. Instead of getting upset with their teasing, he told them he was stealing their youth so that he’d look beautiful until the day he died.

When they reached his house, Dormé managed to wake him up and get him to the door, but rather than try to find his key, she rang the buzzer.

“Ah, I knew this would happen,” Padmé said with a grin, opening the door wide enough to allow them both inside.

Obi-Wan stepped forward and held out his arms. “I got him.”

“Heeeey, it’s Obi.” Anakin gave his husband that same dopey smile from earlier and wrapped him up in a tight hug, if Obi-Wan’s sudden exhale was anything to go by.

Padmé chuckled.

Obi-Wan patted Anakin’s back with a sigh, but he was clearly just as amused as Padmé was. Anakin probably didn’t get drunk very often, not with two small children in the house. “Yes, yes. Let’s go upstairs now.”

After Obi-Wan decided to just carry Anakin up the stairs, which Anakin seemed to enjoy greatly, rather than risk him falling, Padmé turned to Dormé and asked if she’d called for an air taxi yet.

“I did, on the way over.” She knew if she hadn’t, Padmé would offer to fly her to her apartment.

“How did your night out go?”

Dormé smiled. “Good. Saché was the only other one who got drunk. And you can tell Anakin that he didn’t say anything he’ll be embarrassed about later.”

“That would be a first,” Padmé said, grinning. “We’re still on for next week, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

Then Obi-Wan came back down, which was awfully quick. At Padmé’s inquisitive look, he said, “Anakin collapsed onto the bed after he’d only taken off one boot.” Obi-Wan shrugged as if it to say he’d deal with it later. “I hope he wasn’t too much trouble,” he said to Dormé.

“He was fine, but he did tell us some interesting stories. At least now I know to never enter a drinking contest with you.”

That earned her a hint of a smirk.

A beep sounded outside, announcing the arrival of the air taxi, and Dormé gave them both a kiss on the cheek before she left. It wasn’t until she got into the taxi that she realized just how tired she was, but she’d had fun and decided to try making it a regular thing. They could all use a break every now and then.


End file.
